Defect.

While Alpha Henny was in his office settling in and working on some pack things, Brady sat in the living room watching a Rice Crispy’s commercial on the newly hooked up TV. He had just finished setting it up minutes ago.

“I’ve always wanted to try that,” he said, eyes staying glued to the big screen.

“Hmm?” I said opening another box without a label.

“Let’s try making Rice Crispy treats!”

I smiled at his childishness, “Tomorrow we will,” I picked up a porcelain pig from the box; it had a chef outfit painted onto it, “What do I do with this?” I asked holding it up for Brady to see.

He turned to look at it before giving me a wicked smile, “Shake it.”

I looked at him weirdly before I shook it with both hands. It let out a God-awful pig squeal that made me immediately cover my ears. The pig bounced onto the floor, and Brady was laughing his head off.

“Do you do everything someone tells you?” Brady said bear crawling over to reach the creepy pig.

“Yes,” I said quietly.

He was about to say something when a loud crash was heard from outside, then an even louder chorus of cheers followed it. I kept myself from flinching, that’s the fourth time a noise like that was heard.

Tristan was having a party at his house, and they’re known to get rowdy.

Brady sat up and ran to look outside the window, still cradling the creepy pig. “Remind me why we can’t party with them,” he softly demanded, full on pouting.

I sighed and walked over to where he was and peeped out from behind the curtain.

Everyone who was a werewolf and attended our school was outside partying their butts off, even the freshmen. Of course, not many Thunder Bird pack wolves were there—only the ones who didn’t mind partying with their enemies.

I could see that nearly every light in Tristan’s house was on, illuminating his home like a Christmas tree. Red cups, loud thumping beats, and drunken teens (some young adults included as well) littered the streets. Do his parents know he’s doing this? Do the local authorities?

The entire cul-de-sac was teeming with werewolves; every spot had someone—of course all but Thunder Bird pack property. No one even dared to touch a blade of grass on Alpha Henny’s lawn. It’s like there’s an invisible force field around the entire house property.

“Because Alpha Henny said so,” After a moment’s thought I added in, “And Tristan’s an ass.” I said before I went back to unpacking.

Brady only nodded to show that he was listening to me, but continued to stare longingly out the window. I finished unpacking the box that had the creepy pig in it and moved onto another. We still had a lot of unpacking to do, we were working slowly, and it was getting to be very late.

“Only the Beast-Whore would have the gull to throw himself a ‘coming-of-age’ part before he’s actually come of age,” Brady said furrowing his eyebrows at the window and the people partying on the other side of it.

“How do you know?” I asked. I thought Tristan was of age months ago.

Brady turned to look at me, “Because I can smell him, he’s close but not there yet. Has he found his mate?”

I shook my head; if he had every pack in all 50 states would have known by now. “Are... you?” I asked him referring to the ‘of age’ topic.

Brady smiled, “Yeah, but I don’t like the Alpha title or its responsibilities.”

“So you like being a bum?” I asked with a smile.

He laughed, “Something like that!”

“Have you found your mate yet? Since you’re of age and all.”

I regretted asking when he sadly shook his head, “No, it’s depressing. Most wolves find their mate when they turn eighteen or some shit.”

I felt sad for Brady—and I think it showed on my face because he turned to me and with the biggest smile said, “Don’t worry I’ll find that sexy ass guy some day,” I laughed at his choice of words since he was gay, “But you’ll still be my vixen bitch.” I laughed even harder at this.

We continued unpacking until we could no longer unpack—or move our arms. Yet we still weren’t done.

“Let’s go for a run.”

I was picking up a box when I froze at his words.

“I haven’t shifted in a while. And a run sounds good right about now,” Brady said walking to my side, and began stretching his arms, “What do ya’ say?”

My mouth went dry, oh God—they don’t know.

“I can’t,” I said quickly.

Brady gave me a weird look, “It’s okay. I won’t look when you shift back, scouts honor!” he said lifting up a hand while putting the other over his heart.

I shook my heads and tried to change the subject, but he kept pushing. I’m not ready to tell them.

“Why not?” Brady asked confused.

I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly, waiting for the right words to come out.

“I-I just can’t,” I said quietly.

“Of course you can. Everybody can!” he said with a smile.

I shook my head and he did the same, “When the last time you let your wolf out? Two months ago?” I shook my head, “A year?” I shook my head, “Three years?” Again, I shook my head.

Brady started to look worried, “Then when? Six years ago?”

“No,” I said very quietly. I wanted to cry.

Realization was starting to show in his eyes, and I fought the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Alpha Henny walked into the room, but stayed quiet once he noticed the situation.

“When you were at least six at the Eldon ceremony?” he asked with a worried voice.

“No,” I shook my head before the dam restraining my tears broke, allowing them to come rushing down my face.

Cut off your emotions Venus, turn them off.

I was like a faucet, and the water rushing out were my emotions. I had learned in the city to turn off my faucet allowing me to not be harmed emotionally, but in a way doing that harms me physically. However, right now, I couldn’t find it in myself to close the faucet.

I couldn’t imagine myself reaching out and turning the faucet’s knob closed with a creak. I could only see my shaking hand as it got closer to the knob.

Brady’s face was in shock, and I waited for the dreaded question.

“You’ve never shifted?” his voice was barely above a whisper.

I nodded, causing more tears to rush out.

I closed my eyes and I saw my trembling hand that couldn’t turn the faucets knob. This was just like when my uncle passed away—I couldn't control my emotions. I waited to hear him storm out of the house, furious that he had been tricked. I raised my shaky hands to cover my face.

Angry that his friend was a weakling.

I kept listening for the sound of angry footsteps stomping away, and then the loud slam of the front door being closed angrily but instead I felt him hug me. I felt both of them wrap their arms around me.

“Oh Vee, I’m so sorry.” Alpha Henny said into my hair.

I leaned further into Brady’s chest and cried harder not just because they’ve accepted me but also because he had used my childhood nickname—that was hard to hear—to soothe me.

And it worked.

I cried myself to sleep in Brady’s arms. I had fallen asleep knowing that these boys would keep me safe. They’ve accepted me and become my safe harbor.

I know I can trust them.

I woke up the next day in my room with no recollection of how I had gotten there. The clock said it was 10:30 am. It was the longest I’ve slept in before. I felt tired yet refreshed. With a grunt I got up, did my morning routine, slipped into whatever clothes fell out of the closet first. It was a pair of blue jeans and a simple black shirt. I didn’t bother with a sweater today as I made my way downstairs.

I followed the sound of laughter into the kitchen, only to find Alpha Henny waiting for me. He said that we had to finish unpacking. My parents seemed genuinely happy to see me—especially my mom. I can’t say the same about Andromeda though. I could tell by the looked that she gave me, that she wanted me to drop dead.

After an awkward breakfast with my family—as if parents smiling at me while I ate and my little sister sending me mental death glares wasn’t awkward enough—Alpha Henny called me ‘Vee’ as we left and got into his car.

Once we were on the road he started speaking, “I think we should talk about what happened last night.”

I nodded as I hugged my elbows and looked out the window. My hair was still damp from the quick shower I took as part of my morning routine.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

I shrugged and quietly said, “It’s not something you flaunt.”

“This makes so much sense,” he gripped the steering wheel and I turned to look at him confused, “This explains why your mother pushed Andromeda onto me and never said a peep about you.”

“This changes everything.” He muttered under his breath.

That’s when realization struck me like a brick wall. He wanted me to leave.

“Y-you’re… Are you going to kick me out?”

“What?” his head snapped to the side to look at me. I prayed that he’s return his attention back onto the road and he did after a few seconds.

“My family, my own p-pack see’s me as a weakling that’s useless. They shunned me since I was six. My parents were so ashamed of me and couldn’t stand being around the pack that we moved to the city. We didn’t return until it was Andromeda’s time for the Eldon ceremony when she was seven.” I looked at him and his eyes were trained on the road, a deathly grip on the steering wheel, “Even then everyone tolerated me because… of my uncle. He was Alpha Ralf and he loved me like his own daughter. Without him I’d be… I’d be out on the streets today.”

“Vee-”

“It’s okay. I know I’m unwanted. So I’d understand if you kick me out for the sake for the pack.”

“Venus-” He started to get angry but I continued.

“We won’t flourish with a weakling like me clinging on like dead weight.” I said using his words from his first pack meeting. The car became eerily quiet; the only sound was the purr of the car’s engine. I faced forward before continuing, “I’d understand if you-”

“No!”

I looked at him shocked, my face was paling.

“No, Venus! You are staying. I’m not leaving someone behind just because they have a—a—” he searched for the right word, “a defect. That’s not right.”

I became quiet and looked down at my hands. I don’t know what to say, or even what to do. I felt the car pull to the side and completely stop as he put it into park.

“Look.” I faced him, “If I got rid of everyone that had a defect then,” he rubbed the bridge of his nose looking pained, “Then I’d be gone too.”

I gave him another confused look.

“This is my defect.” He said as he took off his leather bracelet from his left wrist. I hadn’t noticed the leather strap bracelet before. He let it drop showing something like a tattoo.

The design was a series of vines that wrapped around his wrist—looking similar to barbed wire. It covered about an inch of skin. It slowly changed colors. They progressed from dark green to dark blue to a wine red then a light green, light blue, light red, and then the cycle would begin again.

Underneath the design was “Lennox” written elegantly in cursive.

“My defect,” he breathed, “Is that I wear the painful mark of those who are mateless.”

I moved to gape at him. I reached out to gently touch it. I had heard about these marks before, but I never believed them.

“I kept it covered, because an Alpha without a mate is a symbol of great weakness.”

“Was this her?” I asked softly touching the name.

“Yeah,” I heard the irrevocable pain in his voice, “She was from a neighboring pack, daughter of the Beta. I hadn’t met her. I was only five at the time when it happened. She was only two when the rogues took her and her Alpha’s daughter, and killed them both. They wanted revenge for something her pack had done so they took their fragile lives.”

“Was it unbearable?” He looked at me with sad glassy eyes, “The pain I mean.”

“Yes.” He croaked, “I wanted to die. And I was only five! Not old enough to shift for the first time yet. I was a month away from being eligible for the Eldon ceremony. If only I was born sooner, then I could’ve have shifted the second I felt that something was wrong.”

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t control that.” I said wanting to comfort him.

Werewolves can’t shift before the Eldon ceremony is performed. They become eligible after their sixth birthday. Some, like Andromeda, do it at age seven.

There has to be a moon and shaman present for a pup to shift for the first time. From then they shift uncontrollably at full moons—they can also shift at will whenever they want to—until they learn to control it. And they’re full power and control arrives when they come of age.

He couldn’t control any of that; it’s all out of his hands.

He turned to look at me the sadness starting to seep away from his eyes, “I know.” He grabbed my hand, “I know. You couldn’t control your defect either.”

I gave him a smile, “Let’s be broken together then.”

He’s right.

I couldn’t control my shifting or not feeling my wolf. It’s out of my control so I shouldn’t be punished for it. I shouldn’t punish myself because of it. It wouldn’t be fair to me.

He gave me a bright smile, “So if I kick you out. Then I’d leave myself as well.”

I gave him a small smile.

“Besides, if I did kick you out—Brady would follow you out. And I follow my baby brother; someone’s got to take care of him.” He chuckled.

I laughed quietly.

“Alright,” he started the engine, “let’s go to work.”

For once in my life, I was really happy that I trusted someone with my secret, because they trusted me right back. I haven’t felt so close to someone like this in a really long time. On the ride to his house Alpha Henny and I talked about whatever popped into our heads at the moment.

I can no longer say that I hate Alpha Henny.

He may have killed my uncle, and I may never forgive him for that, but hey “Love the sinner, hate their sin.” Right? At least, I think that’s how it goes—I’m not sure. But, he accepted me when no-one else did, not even my own parents. And my defect is much bigger than the death of my uncle, even if it’s just by a bit.

He accepted me whole heartedly when no one else did—not even my best friend at the time.

We arrived and promptly got out of the car. He had parked on the driveway seeing as how the streets were trashed from Tristan’s party last night. I was walking across the lawn when the sound of a door opening was heard, before I was tackled to the ground.

I heard a loud growl then a “Venus!” It was Brady. Alpha Henny chuckled and walked inside.

“Hey Brady,” I coughed. He was sitting on my stomach with both legs on either side of me—he was straddling me. Not awkward at all.

His orange hair was dangling over me as he studied my face, “He told you.” He stated and I tried to nod my head but it was hard with him sitting on me. Then he got off of my and started walking back to where he came from, while I stayed on the grass trying to catch my breath.

“Lazy ass! What are you doing? Get up!” Brady yelled at me before he grabbed one of my ankles and began to drag me inside.

He sure is hyper today.

“I’m up! I’m up!” I yelled and got right before he had reached the cement part—Werewolf or not being dragged across the cement floor hurt.

While Brady and I finished unpacking and decorating the house, Alpha Henny was in his office working on pack matters. I wonder what is that he actually does in there.

We took a break, around 3 o’clock, to sit on the lawn and watch Tristan’s Goonies clean up the mess they had made. I wasn’t afraid that they’d try anything, like bully me, because I had Brady by my side and Alpha Henny was only a shout away.

Brady made popcorn and would throw it at them if they got to close to the lawn. They were angry yet I was laughing my head off. But Brady stopped throwing food at them, or as he sad, “feeding the monkeys,” when Tristan walked out onto his lawn to supervise them, or more rather, to glare at us.

I never found out why he hated me so much ever since we returned from the city. I didn’t get the chance to talk to him after we had done Eldon ceremony. I bet he was disappointed with me as well. Didn’t he know that my parents forced me to leave him without a goodbye?

Boys are more confusing than girls.

We watched—well I did, Brady would just make fun of them—until they finished cleaning. Even then we stayed outside a bit longer just talking. I’ve never really done that with someone other than Robin before, never just sat and talked about random things with someone. It feels good. We didn’t go back inside until it was well after dark.

“Longest break ever,” I commented as we began to unpack again. Brady just laughed and agreed with me.

It feels good to have more than one friend. Now I have another person to add to my empty contact list, speaking of which, “Where’s my cell-phone?”

Brady looked up from his box, “Shit.” He took a glance around the room to find that it was covered in empty cardboard boxes, “That suckers gone.”

I sighed and looked for it for well over an hour, then I simply gave up on it.

We made hot chocolate and coffee and continued our never ending “un-packing party”. We only had a few boxes left when I checked the clock.

“It’s almost one in the morning!”

Brady chuckled and shrugged, “Just sleep over!” he shouted with wide excited eyes. I was hesitant but agreed in the end, it’s not a school night and Andromed can go suck on a lemon is she doesn’t like me staying the night.

Brady jumped up and down in happiness, “Let’s go ask Henny!” he shouted before grabbed my hand and tugging me down the hallway that led us to Alpha Henny’s office. He put his palm up signaling for me to stop and be quiet.

Brady knocked on his door really gently right before he shouted, “Venus can sleep over?!” through the door.

I gave him a shocked face. He shrugged and said, “Banned me from his office.”

Seconds later Alpha Henny’s voice was heard through the door, “That because you brought a girl in here and—nevermind. Yes, she may stay. I’ll call her parents.”

“Kay, Thanks! G’night.” Brady shouted at the door before he grabbed my hand again and pulled me upstairs into his room.

It was painted in white walls with a dark blue ceiling. Everything else in his room, which was a lot, was either blue or matched to the Blue & White theme he had going on. Even his queen sized bed matched, and it was in the middle of all the blueness.

Brady walked over to his drawers and let me borrow one of his shirts—but once he saw that it was way too small he went and got one of Alpha Henny’s shirts. It was red and fit me like a night gown. The sleeves ended at my elbow and the hem of the shirt reached a bit past mid thigh

Brady laughed, “Yeah. Didn’t fit him either.”

I used one of Brady’s shorts, then I got ready for bed but I didn’t get into bed with him until he promised that he wasn’t going to do anything. He even pinky promised, so I couldn’t say I wanted to sleep on the couch anyways.

Taking Brady’s honor, I crawled into bed with him but we did fall asleep right away.

“Tell me about Alpha Ralf.”

I chose my words carefully because I knew that whatever I told him he would go and repeat it all again to Alpha Henny. That’s just what Brady does.

“He was a great man. He’s the reason I’m still in this pack today. After the Eldon ceremony and everyone found out about my…defect. I was shunned.” I took a deep breath. Talking about this would be harder than I thought.

I turned and faced his dark blue ceiling, the lights were off but I still didn’t want him to see the sadness I harbored, “My parents felt so ashamed that we left to the city, and we didn’t return until it was Andromeda’s time for the Eldon ceremony, when she was seven. He was the only one to accept me back with open arms and a big smile— he’s the reason I’m still alive, practically. There were some points where I just wanted to give up, but he kept me going.”

“Henry never meant to kill him.” He said quietly.

I shook my head, “That doesn’t matter now.”

Brady moved so he was facing upwards towards the dark blue ceiling just like I was. I felt him softly grab my hand under the covers and give it a gentle squeeze.

“Tell me about him and you.”

“Well. He was my favorite uncle, my only one at that too… He used to like to spoil me in any way possible. You know, since Andromeda was small and soaked up all of my parents attention,” I smiled recalling a memory, “I remember that once I asked him for a s’more and he took all of us to go camping the next night.”

Brady chuckled, “Did he have a mate? Any of his own pups to spoil too?”

“No…” My smile fell, “He did have a mate but she was killed after a few years of being mated with him. No children.” I heard Brady’s quiet gasp I knew he wanted me to continue, so I did.

“She died protecting me.”

“How?”

“We were on a trip to the store. Her and her friend from the Pavone pack—back when we were all friends. We had just gotten out of the car in the parking lot when we were attacked by Rogue’s. I remember holding her hand when I got out of the car, and then we were surrounded by smoke.”

“Screen grenade. How old were you?”

“I was four,” I gulped and went on. No-one’s asked to hear my side of the story before, “She picked me up, and her friend opened the car door and threw me inside.” My voice started cracking, “they used their lives to save mine.” The tears overflowed onto my cheeks.

Cut off your emotions Venus, they only cause harm.

Brady reached over to wipe my tears away.

I saw my hand reach out and turn the knob, causing the water to stop flowing out of the faucet. I felt myself quietly whimper from the pain deep inside. But it was worth it, the sadness stopped overwhelming me. Once I had calmed down he said, “See? That’s all the more reason for you to try harder in everything.”

I nodded.

“Let’s go to sleep okay Vee? I won’t push this anymore.”

“You weren’t pushing me. I’d just never told anyone. No-one’s ever asked me before.”

“Oh. Is it okay if I tell Henny then?” I nodded. He moved to his side so he could hug me.

That was the 2nd time I fell asleep in Brady’s arms, but this time I wasn’t crying.